Markley’s Fevered Brain: Oy Vey! The Guilt!

Wayne Markley

Wayne Markley


by Wayne Markley

I had intended to discuss what I consider guilty pleasures this time out in the blog. When discussing this idea with a fellow co-worker, a third cohort came over and said”no, you cannot write about guilty pleasures”. I admit, for a moment I was stopped in my tracks as to why she thought I could not write about such things as books I have read and feel bad admitting I read them. I am guessing she somehow thought I was going to discuss only adult only material. Well, to my co-worker, I give you a raspberry (or obscene gesture) and I am going to discuss my original subject. I have no doubt to her surprise I am not going to discuss adult material, but I am going to discuss four books I read and quite enjoy even though if you ever asked what books I like I would never mention these titles. A few of the titles are because I have issues with the publishers (which for the most part are not for public discussion), others are titles I would normally complain about except I find I like this title exceptional, and some of them I am ashamed to admit I still read at my age. So with no further babbling here we go.

Jennifer Blood

Jennifer Blood


Jennifer Blood is a very odd book. By that I mean is it has changed 180 degrees a number of times since it started. It was created by Garth Ennis and originally told the story of a suburban mom who is related to the mob and, one by one, kills her family mob members. It was extremely violent and bloody. It was an interesting mix of the small town mom with a husband and two children who was a blood thirstykiller at night. Each killing was carefully thought out and done. It was not murder for the sake of violence. It was a very well told story. Ennis left after issue six and most recently Mike Carroll has been writing the series. Since Mike took over the book has become a road trip, women in prison drama, and much more. One of the reasons I so enjoy this book is with each issue the book takes another twist I would never have seen coming. There are a number of times I am convinced that Mike has written himself into a corner with no way out. Of course I am wrong, and there is a logical resolution to each storyline. It is rare to find a book with so many twists and turns that are not forced or contrived. I would warn the readers though that this book is extremely violent and the body count is huge. It is not for the timid. There are two trades available.

Crossed

Crossed


Crossed I have mentioned before in my column about adult comics, and this book is still for adults only, and even then it is not for everybody. It also was originally written by Garth Ennis (again) and it tells the tale of a virus that turns people into homicidal and sexual sociopaths. What I like about this book is it is told in series of stores (five to eight issues each) and each story is told by a different creative team. Each story is set in a different location with different characters. The only thing that is consistent is the raw sexuality and violence. This book tops the most violent and disgusting porn horror you have ever seen, but the stories of people, or groups of people, trying to survive in a world filled with roaming groups of the Crossed is engaging. It is similar to the Walking Dead in that it is the characters’ struggle to survive in each arc that is the story, not the sex and violence, even though the sex and violence can be overwhelming at times. I feel dirty after reading this book, but the stories are compelling, and the art is passable for the story it tells. I would not recommend this title if you are looking for great art, but I will say the art is ahead of the other books in this genre, such as Ferals, Caligula, Stitched, etc. Read at your own risk. There are currently five trade collections available.

Scooby-Doo

Scooby-Doo


Scooby-Doo is as far away as you can get from Crossed. It has been a comic book for over forty years now and has been published by a number of publishers. DC has been publishing Scooby-Doo stories for over 10 years now. I will be honest; I am only a fan of the first two seasons of the Scooby-Doo cartoon, before the team-ups, the strange family members, revisions, etc. I liked the original two seasons when the stories are straight detective stories. The comics reflect that type of story. With each issue, there are two stories where those pesky kids solve some crime or mystery. There are also one page fillers with facts or games and puzzles. These comics are very formulaic and there are not really the top of the line creators working on the book, but the stories are competent and fun. Plus, the stories on some level take me back to my childhood with a sense of fun and mystery. I am far from the target audience for this book, but it does bring a smile to my face when I read an issue of Scooby-Doo. One thing I do wish is someone (DC or IDW) would do is a series of Scooby-Doo archives and reprint the old Gold Key, Charlton, Marvel, and Archie Scooby-Doo stories. Particularly the Gold Key issues are very good. I would also love to see a collection of the U.K. Scooby-Doo stores. There was a monthly Scooby-Doo book in England for many years featuring material that has never been seen in the States.

Detective Comics

Detective Comics


Detective Comics really should not be on this list, but since it is a New 52 book, and I have bad rapped them so often most people think I hate the whole DC line (which is not true, I do like a few of the new DC titles), I think it fits. Of all of the DC books, I do enjoy Detective the most. I did not enjoy the first twelve issues by Tony Daniels very much, but with issue thirteen and John Layman coming on as the new writer and artist John Fabok joining him, the book has quickly risen to the top of my favorites list. Layman and Fabok have made a dark and gritty Batman where Gotham is as much a character as Batman. Plus it is filled with excellent storytelling involving the Penguin and the new king of crime, the Emperor Penguin. In issue 19, the 900th issue of Detective, they featured a story called the 900, and introduced Man-Bat into the New 52 universe while forwarding the whole Penguin/Emperor Penguin storyline. Mind you this special issue was priced at a mind-boggling $7.99 for 80 pages. These are some of the best Batman stories I have read in a very long time. It has not been collected yet, but I am sure a trade of their work will soon be available.

All of the above titles are very good and are worth reading depending on your taste and age. I will be the first to admit not all of these titles are for everyone, but hopefully one will appeal to you. As always, everything I have written is my opinion and they do not reflect the thoughts of my co-workers (as you can see in the first paragraph) or the Westfield Company. Any comments, good, bad or indifferent can be sent to MFBWAY@AOL.COM. As always…

Thank you.

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